For MK Guth, road to Whitney Biennial begins Saturday in Portland

One of MK Guth's intricate braids is shown at the Elizabeth Leach gallery in 2006. A similar braid will be created for next March's Whitney Biennial in New York City.

The Whitney Biennial doesn't start until March, but for artist MK Guth, the journey to the prestigious once-every-two-year survey of American art begins Saturday right here in Portland.

At the Gerding Theater at the Armory, Guth will begin the latest in her ongoing Braid Project, which is loosely based on the fairy tale of Rapunzel. Guth will turn long locks of artificial blond hair into a free-flowing braid, into which she'll weave red velvet ribbons onto which people write their answers to the question "What is worth protecting?" Guth's creation of the work is free and open to the public, and she's encouraging people to participate by answering the theme question, helping shape the nature of the piece.

After beginning the braid here, she'll travel around the country during the next two months, extending the work in Boise, Houston, Atlanta and Cleveland. When the biennial opens March 6, Guth will continue adding to the braid at the Seventh Regiment Armory building, near the Whitney Museum of American Art. By that time, the braid may already be over 100 feet long, incorporating answers from hundreds of people around the country. Guth's use of the Rapunzel myth opens up a conversation about the nature of fairy tales and how they have a lifelong influence on our outlook on life.

"A lot of how we initially order the world -- how we understand what's good or bad -- comes from myths that we're introduced to when we're very young," Guth says. "The idea behind this piece is what would happen if the fairy tale ending didn't occur? What would happen if Rapunzel never got out of the castle? Rapunzel's braids are a means of escape, but they're also her ropes and chains."

When she's made similar braids in the past, she's asked pointed questions. For instance, a braid she created in Brazil included ribbons that answered questions about how people viewed Americans. The responses ranged from praise for American music, to harsh indictments of American politics.

For the Whitney, she's asking a less-direct question in hopes that the responses that get woven into the braid will explore deeper themes of community. In answering "What is worth protecting?", participants have to ponder what's close to home -- children, pets, sense of self-worth. The question, of course, can also be taken in political directions -- freedom of expression, civil liberties, free elections.

Elizabeth Leach, who exhibits Guth's work at her Pearl District Gallery, says the Guth's braids are an important part of the artist's progression, and reflect an interesting intersection of feminist art and American culture.

"Her piece will be shown at the Armory in New York, so to ask that question in that environment -- 'What is worth protecting?' -- while in the process of doing a very feminine thing, braiding hair, it's very soft and gentle but extremely provocative. Perhaps that will be galvanizing. It's so pertinent to now and to the culture of our country."

MK Guth artist begins creating the work that will be featured in next year's Whitney Biennial in New York City from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, The Gerding Theater at the Armory, 128 N.W. 11th Ave.